His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie

God, this book! I am angry, from the start to the end made me laugh but I was so pissed.

Why this? The annoyance increased as I read. Everything that happened in this book especially to Afi, she alone received the blame and the major cause of issues was never made to take the fall for his actions.

This story set in Ghana tells the story of Afi, a young woman who at a tender age loses her dad and her middle-class status in society to live like a pauper. Her dad while alive, taking care of the extended family as the only educated member, didn’t make preparations for his death. Ali and her mum have to survive and her mum sacrifices a lot to achieve this.

The ever benevolent aunt, Mrs Ganyo, a wealthy and affluent woman from Afi’s hometown, provides support and in the long run, Afi has to make sacrifices as thanks offering to the Ganyos.

Marry Eli Ganyo, Aunty’s son who is being charmed by a Liberian woman who is ‘ugly and hates his family’. Afi is to save this man, a grown-ass man , so she marries him in absentia.

Afi is well-taken care of but hasn’t met her husband, eventually, she does and has to do everything with her feminine wiles to keep this man from the other woman.

This was such an interesting, captivating read, with a total of less than 300 pages, lovely!

I have gone physical with almost every character in this book in real life, that’s how annoying they were.

Why should Afi have to suffer to keep a man who desires another? Why does she receive the blame for all the flaws in her marital home just because she is a woman? Why does she have to fight for a man especially because he is rich, doesn’t she deserve to be fought for?

This was a frustrating read, from greedy uncles to extended family problems, African aunties issues, the rich people’s mentality, to the selfishness, mummy’s boy’s issues, this book had it all.

Read this book, you would love it, this is African Drama at its finest. The writing style was so easy, and I loved the cover and total book design. I think the best books are the ones that bring out all the emotions in you.

Poverty was such a strong theme in this book, but in the end, Afi won despite how hard it was. A lesson I learnt, all the money in the world is not worth the pain. Afi was a strong character and I loved her growth as the story continued.